


Carrot Cake and Crow

by Inked_Doodles



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-17 00:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11840004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inked_Doodles/pseuds/Inked_Doodles
Summary: A year after the Night Howler incident, life in Zootopia has been calm. Not everything is as it seems, however...~Partners in crime fighting Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps are getting married. During the planning process, however, things spiral out of control; objects are stolen from police officers and the building is vandalized, a particularly nasty slur about Judy the center of it. Coincidentally, the partners were put on the case; from that moment, love-drama ensues.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Short, short chapters, I know! Read and review if you want more CCaC!  
> Disclaimer: Zootopia does not belong to me!

The crowd stood in a circle, a whispering sea of blue. Each and every pair of eyes rested on two figures, wide with anticipation. One stood, long ears flicked back in surprise. The other kneeled, bushy tail wagging from side to side. The figures were Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, partners in crime-fighting.

Judy’s eyes widened with astonishment, a smile curving her lips. “Oh, Nick!” she murmured, gazing lovingly at the glimmering diamond ring he held in his paw. It was simple, but the bunny loved everything about it.

It had a silver band with larger protrusions, giving them leaf-like appearances. The protrusions had tiny amethyst gems embedded within them, bringing out the color of her eyes. The diamond itself was a breathtaking sight; it glinted softly in the light, its many angles creating dim shapes on the ground. Small diamonds bordered it, hints of amethyst peeking through.

At her words, Nick’s heart began to melt into a puddle. “You’ve affected me from the minute I laid eyes on you. Before, I didn’t believe in love, didn’t think I could find it. Now? It’s the only thing I feel when I look at you. Judy, will you marry me?”

The crowd gasped in eagerness. Judy’s ears perked immediately, and she broke out into a face-splitting grin. She didn’t waste a minute replying. “Yes!”

Her arms wrapped around his shoulders in a fierce but loving hug. The fellow police officers cheered loudly, some even breaking into tears. The couple broke apart, gazing into each other’s eyes.

“I love you, sly bunny,” the fox whispered into her ear, nuzzling her cheek lovingly.

“I love you too, dumb fox.”


	2. Lurking Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The couple spend a cuddly night planning the wedding. Nick has a sneaking suspicion that something is amiss, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, kudos, and constructive criticism are appreciated! Thank you to all who read my stories!

The flames crackled, sending a comfortable warmth into the house. Nuvole Bianche drifted through the air, its melody soft and slightly haunting in all of its beauty. The lights were out but white candles flickered in the living room, providing a soft light source. Overall, the new house seemed more like a home.

On the cozy white couch, Nick and Judy were curled up together, gazing at pictures and written ideas in a binder. One of the fox’s paws settled on his future bride’s hip, the other holding her soft paw. Loving grins were curving both animal’s faces, eyes half lidded with calm and serenity. However, the fox’s eyes were more troubled. For what reason, he did not know.

“I really like the idea of an outdoor wedding, don’t you?” Judy mused. Her amethyst eyes were bright with wonder, and she stared at the sparks drifting lazily about in the fireplace.

“Yeah, I do, Carrots.” To any bystander, his voice held nothing but love. However, the bunny immediately knew something was up.

“Nick, what’s bothering you?” Judy’s voice was colored with concern. Upon recognizing the wary tone that her fiancé had used, her eyes widened and posture tensed. Instinctively, gray ears flicked forward, ready to take in any and all information given. It was a trait that made the cop great at her job, despite her small stature.

The canine shrugged, turning to face Judy fully. He stared into her worried orbs, gently and affectionately cradling her face with his paws. His smile widened even more, expression masking his true feelings. The sly fox could truly be convincing when needed; knowing that made him slightly proud.

“It’s nothing, Judy. Don’t worry about it.” Though he would like to feel at ease, Nick couldn’t help but feel that something _was_ wrong – or, at least, amiss, for that matter. He pushed the slight but yet troubling feeling of dread to the back of his mind. Right now, he had to distract his beautiful and loving girlfriend. If he couldn’t put a paw on why something felt off, he could at least count on that, when worried, the determined little bunny would push until she got her way.

Judy didn’t seem fully convinced. She made a move to reply, but Nick beat her to it. “Carrots, listen to me. Nothing’s wrong. Now, don’t we have a cold night to turn warm?” The canine's voice deepened, green eyes half-closed.

At this, her lips curved up in a sly smirk. “I’ll hold you to it. Right now, though, we have a wedding to plan!”

His plan had worked. Now, to milk it a little. “Aww, Jude! But this chill is assaulting me. Isn’t it your job to fight crime?” he teased, throwing a small whine into his sentence. Judy laughed, rolling her eyes.

“C’mon! Which do you like better, purple and black or purple and gold?” she asked, playfully shoving his shoulder. Sobering slightly, he half-smiled.

“Whichever you’d like best, sly bunny,” the fox murmured. With that, the couple turned back to the binder. Nick would just have to do his very best to shove any doubts out of his mind.


	3. Lost Ring?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick wakes up to find a very upset Judy. Later, he learns that his girlfriend's engagement ring is missing.

“Nick! Where is it?”

The canine’s ears flicked sleepily, eyes blearily blinking. The sight that greeted him was beautiful. He studied her form with a slight smile, green orbs half-lidded.

Judy stood beside her side of the bed, arms crossed. Her shorts clung to her fur, accentuating her petite curves. The ruffled sleep-shirt that covered her torso was tilted, exposing soft gray fur. As his eyes slid upward, he noticed that her ears were flattened nervously, amethyst eyes troublingly wide. Immediately, Nick’s green eyes snapped the rest of the way open.

“What’s the matter, Judy?” Though thick with sleep, his voice was concerned. This was enough to make the bunny’s lips curve upward. The smile was short-lived, however, as she soon remembered why she was upset in the first place.

“My ring is missing! I’ve looked all over, but I can’t find it. Do you think someone took it?” Her foot shook with nerves as she spoke, tapping the floor frantically. The sound echoed off of the beige walls, creating an echo that would irritate even the most laid-back creature. Fortunately Nick was more than laid-back.

With a grunt, the fox pushed himself to a sitting position. He calmly slid on his shirt, staring out of the window next to their bed. It was as if he was deep in thought. His girlfriend seemed to be growing more frantic by the second, though Nick paid the ever-consistent foot-tapping no mind. At long last, the canine stood up and turned to face Judy, a lazy and assuring smile on his muzzle.

“I’m sure it’s just misplaced, carrots. Did you look under the bed?” he murmured, stepping forward to encase her body in a loving hug. Good thing the fox was suave and was able to hide his true feelings or he would surely be panicking. The bunny trembled, though the tapping ceased. Nick could feel Judy nod, head burrowed into his chest. She spoke, words slightly muffled. The fox felt a shiver move through his body at her breath ruffling through his fur.

“I did. I looked under the bed, in the boxes, everywhere! I just don’t know where to look, with the house being new and all. I’m sure I set it on the nightstand when we went to bed!” Her voice was desperate, growing whinier with each passing word. Nick fought to keep his tail from curling around his leg nervously, secret suspicion growing by the minute.

Red paws grabbed small shoulders firmly but gently. The fox pulled away, keeping his girlfriend at arm’s-length. He plastered a calm, caring expression on his face, staring into the bunny’s violet eyes. “Judy, it’s fine. We’ll find it, I promise you, hon.”

Judy relaxed, staring into his eyes. They seemed to brighten, and a smile once again curved her lips. “Thanks, Nick.”

“No problem, Carrots. Now, go and get ready for work, okay? It’ll all work out, you’ll see.” The canine released her shoulders, giving her a convincing grin before proceeding to turn away and button his shirt.

At the sound of quiet footsteps and a door closing, he allowed himself to let his guard down. On the outside, everything was dandy. On the inside, things weren’t so great. The fox did his best to push the uneasy, festering dread aside as he prepared himself for another day at work.


	4. Graffiti Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy are, coincidentally, put on the case. A slur that could ruin anyone's life was sprayed onto a wall in bright red ink... directed at the bunny herself. The incident leaves Nick wondering what could possibly happen next.

One paw held a steaming mug of bitter, ebony coffee; the other rested in a fist on the table as Chief Bogo spoke. Nick’s ears swiveled forward, perked to attention.

“Some hooligan vandalized the building yesterday, if you didn’t happen to notice,” The chief of police’s dark eyes were narrowed, a scowl planted firmly on his face. The fox’s mind swam in a dizzying frenzy. Were the incidents connected? Nick grimaced, forcefully pushing the thought out of his mind; instead, he resumed listening to the conversation as was expected of him.

“...check out the local video footage. Wilde, Hopps, you’re at the crime scene. Wolford, Fangmeyer, patrol the area. And last but not least, Prongbourne and Howlington… Parking duty.” Two loud but half-hearted groans were uttered from various areas of the room. A lazy smile crept up on Nick’s face as the officers broke out in quiet laughter, soon joined by the unlucky partners.

After a gruff dismissal from the water buffalo, the scrape of chairs on tile sounded throughout the room. Nick was soon greeted with the sight of excited amethyst eyes and twitching bunny ears.

“This is our first opportunity to check out the crime scene! Aren’t you excited? I am!” The words rushed out of Judy’s mouth before he had a chance to respond.

“Woah, woah, Carrots. Calm down!” the fox chuckled, resting a paw on her dainty shoulder. “Let’s go.”

~

No sooner did the partners exit the building did their jaws drop in surprise. One of Judy’s hands flew to her chest, the other clamped to her mouth to stifle a cry. Nick’s ears flattened, green eyes narrowing. Centered on the wall was a colorful array of words that would put any sailor to shame. That, however, wasn’t the center of the pair’s attention.

Written in dripping red letters was a slur directed straight at the bunny. The insinuations about her personal life were alarming, to say the least. Nick stole a glance at his girlfriend; what he saw broke his heart. Judy’s ears were drooping, eyes wide. In their amethyst depths, hurt, surprise, and rage were clear; wetness filmed her eyes, and she noticed her fiancé’s gaze.

 Judy made to turn away to get her bearings, but a red paw gently spun her around. With an ‘oof,’ she collided with Nick’s warm chest. That’s when the dam broke and she began sobbing quietly.

“I just don’t get why someone would _say_ something like that! I- I..” she broke off, sniffling into the fox’s crisp blue shirt.

“Me neither, Jude…” Nick’s arms wrapped comfortingly around her, cradling her. “Shh, it’s alright! We’ll find who did this, I promise…”

He held her until the tears subsided, whispering comforts into her ear. When Judy’s breath returned to normal, she pulled away from him and shot him a watery smile.

“Thanks, Nick.” The bunny wiped her eyes one last time, turning back to the graffiti. Nick grabbed her paw and gave it one reassuring squeeze before examining the crime scene in silence.

The hours dragged on before a dim light turned on in the back of his mind. The fox’s jaws opened to barely utter a single phrase. “The ring….”


End file.
